1 [[!meta title="Using Zephyr (a.k.a. Zephyr For Dummies)"]]
3 <!-- For information on the archaic way of using Zephyr, see TraditionalZephyr.-->
5 ## Introduction to Zephyr
7 Zephyr was a system designed to let system administrators send
8 important messages to users in an easily noticeable format. It was
9 meant to have a low volume of traffic and be used only for official
10 notices. This is obviously not what Zephyr is today. It can still be
11 used in the way it was intended: notice that you get official
12 zephyrgrams as you log in, with important information about Athena
13 services and planned outages. However, the most common usage is by
14 average users exchanging information about classes, how their days are
15 going, and talking on Zephyr classes and instances about everything
16 from the latest episode of Battlestar Galactica to the next 18.03
17 problem set. The usage of Zephyr has far exceeded original
18 expectations. Over time, people have also created programs that give
19 Zephyr a graphical interface, and programs that give zephyr a purely
20 textual interface, that can be used entirely within a ssh
21 terminal. Some of these zephyr clients have become so widely used that
22 there are users who do not know that there are other ways to send (and
23 receive) zephyrgrams. This wiki will cover the traditional commands,
24 typed at the athena% prompt, as well as the more common modern zephyr
27 The information in this wiki about BarnOwl just barely touches the
28 surface. More for in-depth functionality, visit the [BarnOwl
29 wiki](https://barnowl.mit.edu/).
33 Today the majority of Zephyr users use the barnowl client. There are
34 other clients as well (for example, Pidgin supports Zephyr). The
35 following sections will go into detail about how to install, use, and
40 There are other clients besides BarnOwl, however their use is not
41 nearly as widespread. Some of these include:
43 * Owl (unmaintained, BarnOwl evolved from this)
45 * zwgc (see TraditionalZephyr)
47 * zephyr-mode for emacs
49 Using BarnOwl is recommended, as it is better supported and more
50 documentation exists for it.
53 You will need access to an Athena machine to run barnowl. The easiest
54 way to do this would be to SSH into linux.mit.edu.
56 On a Debian-based linux distro, open up a terminal and type `ssh
57 <username>@linux.mit.edu`.
59 On Windows, download a SSH client (such as
60 [PuTTY](http://chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/download.html); you will need to [change PuTTY’s character set](http://utf-8.scripts.mit.edu/wiki/PuTTY) to UTF-8 to prevent occasional display glitches.)
61 and install it. Once you've opened it, type `<username>@linux.mit.edu`
62 into the prompt and hit enter.
64 On a Mac, open Terminal from the Utilities Folder in Applications. Type
65 `kinit <username>@ATHENA.MIT.EDU && ssh -K
66 <username>@linux.mit.edu` If this command fails (saying -K is
67 invalid), then just do `ssh <username>@linux.mit.edu`.
69 Alternatively, use a Java applet called Mindterm SSH inside any web browser. MIT makes this available at [athena.dialup.mit.edu](http://athena.dialup.mit.edu/ssh.html); although this will give you an Athena terminal, you may want to ssh from there to linux.mit.edu so as to follow the rest of these instructions exactly:
71 athena.dialup.mit.edu login: <username>
72 <username>@athena.dialup.mit.edu's password: <password>
74 <username>@<some-server>:~$ ssh <username>@linux.mit.edu
75 <username>@<other-server>:~$
77 (In all these cases, don't include the angle brackets, just replace
78 <username> with your MIT username). You will then be prompted for your
79 password. Enter it, and then carry on with running barnowl!
81 To start barnowl, run the command `add barnowl; barnowl` at the prompt
82 on any Athena machine or dialup, such as linux.mit.edu.
84 The simplest use of Zephyr is to send personal zephyrs to other
85 users. To send a zephyr, type `:` to bring up a command line, and run
86 the command `zwrite USERNAME`. You can also start a `zwrite` command
89 You can then enter your message, and then enter a `.` on a line by
90 itself to finish the zephyr. By convention, zephyrs are usually
91 word-wrapped to 70 characters or so per line; barnowl will wrap at about
92 10 characters less than the width of your terminal window, so if you
93 have a large window, you may need to press M-q (Alt-q, or Escape then q)
94 to word-wrap the current paragraph to a smaller width.
96 Once you've sent and received zephyrs, you can navigate the message
97 list with the arrow keys. Press `d` to mark a message as deleted, `u`
98 to undelete it, and `x` to expunge all messages that have been marked
101 Instead of entering a `zwrite` command manually, you can also select a
102 message in the message list with the arrow keys, and reply to it using
103 `r`, which will automatically set up an appropriate `zwrite` command.
105 For more documentation on the built-in commands and keybindings, you
106 can press h to bring up barnowl's built-in help screen. For help with
107 a specific command, bring up a command line with `:` and then type
110 ### Classes and Instances
112 Generally the most interesting discussion on Zephyr, however, happens
113 on so-called Zephyr <em>classes</em>. A class is a bit like a chat
114 room in other IM systems. Anyone can send a zephyr to a class, and
115 anyone who is subscribed to that class will receive it. There is no
116 security on classes -- anyone who knows the name of a class can
117 subscribe, and there is no way to determine who is subscribed to a
120 To subscribe to a class, use the subscribe command:
122 :subscribe CLASSNAME * *
124 To send a zephyr to a class, use the zwrite command with the -c option:
128 Zephyrs to classes usually have an instance attached. An instance is a
129 short “topic” or “subject” that indicates the
130 context of a zephyr. Different instances are often used to multiplex
131 multiple conversations on a high-traffic class. You can specify an
132 instance with the -i option to zwrite:
134 :zwrite -c CLASSNAME -i INSTANCE
136 A message without an instance specified will default to the instance
137 “personal”.
139 Some common classes include:
141 <strong>help</strong>:
142 > -c help is a class for asking (and answering) questions on virtually
143 > any topic imaginable. Be sure to use an instance (such as
144 > “linux”, “barnowl”, “campus”, or
145 > so on) when asking questions, since it's a fairly high-traffic
148 <strong>sipb</strong>:
149 > -c sipb is where most SIPB members hang out. It's a place for
150 > technical discussion, questions, support, and organizing SIPB events
151 > or projects. You should also always use an instance when sending to
154 <strong>Personal Classes</strong>:
155 > By convention, nearly every Zephyr user has a "personal" class that
156 > is the same as their username. How this class is used varies from
157 > person to person, but it's often a sort of mini-blog, a place to
158 > report what one is working on or up to, or ask friends questions, or
159 > just rant about something.
163 If you spend enough time on Zephyr, you'll begin noticing some strange
164 phrases and words being thrown around. Some of these include:
166 <strong>i,i foo</strong>:
167 > picked up from CMU zephyrland and means "I have no point here, I
168 > just like saying:". Sometimes people simply use quotes: `"foo"`.
170 <strong>mix</strong>:
171 > If somebody accidentally sends a Zephyr to the wrong class or
172 > person, they will send another Zephyr to that wrong/class person
173 > simply saying "mix". This basically just means, "oops, sorry, I
174 > didn't mean to send that Zephyr here". You might also see "-i mix",
175 > which is the same thing, only with instances.
178 > You may see an instance change from `-i foo` to `-i foo.d`. This
179 > indicates a deviation or tangent from the the original topic.
181 <strong>starking</strong>:
182 > Answering a question or replying to a topic to a topic several hours
183 > (or days, occasionally) later. The term originates from Greg Stark,
184 > who would often reply to zephyrs hours or occasionally days later
185 > without seeing if anyone had answered yet, or worse, if the instance
186 > had moved on to an entirely different topic.
188 <strong>ttants</strong>:
189 > Literally, "Things That Are Not The Same".
191 <strong>prnf</strong>:
192 > Literally, "Pseudo-Random Neuron Firings".
194 There are many other acronyms that are used; if you don't know what it
195 means, try using the `whats foo` command at an Athena terminal. If you
196 don't have the command, run `add sipb` first.
200 There are rules that people tend to use on Zephyr. These include:
202 Good grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Not everybody uses
203 capitalization, but they will still use good English. Please do not say
204 things such as "hey wut r u up to???". It makes you look like an idiot.
207 You don't need multiple question marks or exclamation points. Usually.
209 There are a few abbreviations people use, such as YMMV (Your Mileage May
210 Vary) or IIRC (If I Remember Correctly), as well as some nerdier ones
211 like DTRT (Do The Right Thing, in reference to
212 [ The Rise of "Worse Is
213 Better"](http://www.jwz.org/doc/worse-is-better.html)). Try running `add sipb; whats dtrt` to look up an
214 abbreviation. Common abbreviations that you might find on AIM, however,
215 are not often used. People tend to look down upon "lol", "rofl", and
218 Personal classes are by convention considered a little more private than
219 non-personal (public) classes. Although most people don't mind people
220 they've met subscribing to their personal class and lurking, it's poor
221 form to talk loudly on the personal class of someone you don't know.
225 There might be some options that you want to be consistent from
226 session to session; you don't want to have to set the same variables
227 each time. You can fix this by adding the commands to your "startup"
228 file, for example, `.owl/startup`. This can be done from within
229 BarnOwl, by using the `startup` command:
233 Where `foo` is the variable you want to set, and `bar` is the value.
234 You do not necessarily have to use the `set` command, either, any
235 command you can type in BarnOwl can be added to the startup file.
239 It is handy to be able to log your conversations so you can refer back
240 to them later. To log classes, for example:
244 And to log personals:
248 This will log to the "zlog" directory in your locker. You probably
249 don't want people to see what classes you're on or what people you
250 talk to, so you can run the Athena commands
253 fs sa ~/zlog system:anyuser none
254 mkdir -p ~/zlog/people
255 mkdir -p ~/zlog/class
257 to create the necessary directories and make them completely hidden.
261 By default, there are seven colors you may use in the terminal: red,
262 green, yellow, blue, magenta, cyan, and white. In order to use color
263 in Zephyr, you can use the following notation: `@(@color(red)This is
266 Colors may vary from machine to machine, as different terminal
267 profiles may have different shades of the seven colors.
271 Some people like to customize their BarnOwl by color-coding classes.
272 This makes it easier to tell different classes apart (and minimize
273 mixing). BarnOwl has some already existing filters, for example,
274 `personal` (for incoming personals), `out` (for outgoing personals),
275 and `ping` (for pings). To assign a color to a filter, add the
276 following to your startup file:
278 filter personal -c green
280 What if you want to color-code your class, or a friends class? You
281 can create and color filters with:
283 filter johndoe class ^johndoe$
284 filter johndoe -c blue
286 You can update your settings and filters without restarting your
289 :source ~/path/to/config/file
291 You can see all the filters by using `:show filters`, and narrow to a
292 particular filter with, e.g., `:view personal`. You can use `:view
293 all` or the keyboard shortcut `V` to see all messages again.
295 For more detailed information on filters, visit
296 [https://barnowl.scripts.mit.edu:444/wiki/Filters](https://barnowl.scripts.mit.edu:444/wiki/Filters).
298 ## Running BarnOwl in Screen
300 It can be very annoying to have to close BarnOwl when you turn off
301 your computer. During the time your computer is off, you're missing
302 many (possibly important) zephyrs. It can be aggravating to be using
303 zephyr via an unreliable network connection. It can also be
304 frustrating if you leave your computer on with Zephyr up, but go to a
305 different computer and want to check your zephyrs - how do you do
306 this? These problems can be solved with the magic of screen.
308 A more detailed and extensive explanation of this can be found at
309 [http://web.mit.edu/kchen/arch/common/bin/owl-screen.txt](http://web.mit.edu/kchen/arch/common/bin/owl-screen.txt). Basic commands are [Ctrl-a] followed by [c] to open a new window (like a tab), [Ctrl-a][w] to see a list of open windows, and [Ctrl-a] followed by a number to go to that window.
311 Do note that running `owl-screen` as apposed to just runnning `screen` and then a barnowl instance provides niceties such as reminders to renew your tickets (the process `/mit/kchen/arch/i386_rhel4/bin/cont-renew-notify`). Also, BarnOwl will always be located on the `0` tab of an `owl-screen` instance, so [Ctrl-a][0] will always take you back to BarnOwl.
315 You should find a computer or server on which to run your screen
316 session(s) that is up all the time, for example, linux.mit.edu.
317 Screen allows you to run programs inside of it on one computer, and to
318 access those same programs from other computers via ssh.
322 1. Pick a machine to host your screen session on.
323 If you don't know of any options, linux.mit.edu (Linerva) is a good choice.
324 2. ssh to that machine.
325 3. Run "add kchen". You may want to add this to your `~/.environment` file.
328 Your screen session is now ready. Once you start the screen session,
329 you'll need to get renewable Kerberos tickets in order to run it for
330 any extended period of time. Press C-a C-c to open a new screen
335 (length 7 days, both Kerberos 5 and Kerberos 4). Press C-a 0 to return
336 back to your BarnOwl window.
338 When you're ready to log out, press C-a d to "detach" your screen, and
339 then type `exit` or `logout` to log out. Later, when you want to
340 "reattach" your screen, ssh to the machine again, and run `screen -r`.
342 ### Kerberos Tickets and AFS Tokens
344 In order to keep your screen session authenticated, you'll need to
345 keep your Kerberos tickets and AFS tokens up-to-date. There is a
346 script that will do this for you, located in the `kchen` locker.
347 After you ssh into the machine that hosts your screen sessions, run
348 the following commands:
355 ### Attaching and Detaching Sessions
357 To detach a screen session (for example, if you want to log out),
358 press C-a d (Control-A, then D). Screen continues to run, but is no
361 To reattach a screen session, possibly detaching from wherever it's
362 currently attached, run:
366 `screen` can do a whole lot more. To find out about it, see
367 [UsingScreen](https://sipb-www.scripts.mit.edu:444/doc/wiki/UsingScreen).
369 ### Interaction with Traditional Zephyr
371 The default athena startup scripts launch zwgc on login. If you are
372 subscribed to many classes and use Zephyr as many do today, zwgc's
373 behavior is not very desirable. To disable zwgc startup, add:
375 setenv ZEPHYR_CLIENT false
377 to your `~/.environment` file if you use `tcsh` or
381 to your `~/.bash_environment` if you use `bash`. This will cause your
382 shell to launch the `false` executable instead of zwgc which does